Burner for cigarette-lighters and cigarette-lighters provided therewith



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illlll A I BURNER FOR CIGARETTE-LIGHT PROVIDED Filed Dec. 19, 1955 Dec. 18, 1956 T. RUE-rz LIGHTDRS AND CIGARETTE-marinas PROVIDED THEREWITH BURNER FOR CIGARETTE- 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 19, 1955 United States Patent() rice BURNER FOR CIGARETTE-LIGHTERS AND CIGA- RETTE-LIGHT ERS PROVIDED THEREWITH Theodor Ruetz, Marstetten, Switzerland Application December 19, 1955, Serial No. 554,014 Claims priority, application Switzerland June 27, 1955 12 Claims. (Cl. 67-53) The present invention relates in general to cigarette or cigar lighters and has particular reference to a burner for cigarette-lighters and the like, especially pocketlighters of the type having a liquid fuel reservoir closed to the outside, a burner and at least one fuel vehicle connecting the fuel reservoir to the burner and along which the fuel is led under the influence of the vapour pressure developing in the fuel reservoir and acting on the surface of the liquid fuel.

The burner forming the subject-matter of this invention is remarkable, notably in that the fuel vehicle extends throughout a cavity open at one end to the fuel reservoir through the medium of a pressure-reducing orifice which, in the operative conditions of the lighter, overlies the fuel surface, and at the other end to the atmosphere through a throttled passage consisting of another orifice also permitting the passage of said vehicle towards the burner, the complete assembly being so constructed and proportioned that the ow of fuel from the reservoir to said cavity takes place as a function of the differential pressure existing between the cavity and the inner `volume of the fuel reservoir so that even for relatively low vapour pressures in the reservoir the quantityof fuel supplied to the burner is substantially constant.

The present invention is also concerned with novel industrial articles consisting of the various types of lighter comprising a burner of the character broadly set forth hereinabove.

Other features and advantages of this invention will become apparent as the following description proceeds with reference to the attached drawings forming part of this specification and illustrating diagrammatically by way of example preferred forms of embodiment `of the invention, it being understood however that these embodiments should not be construed as limiting the scope of lthe invention, as many modifications may be brought thereto without departing from the spiritv and scope of the invention. In the drawings: j

Figure l is a sectional and fragmentary view sliowing lighter shown in vertical fragmentary section with the burner cap in its closed position.

ln the cigarette vor cigar lighter illustrated in Figs. l to 3 a tubular member 14 having a threaded portion 13 is screwed therethrough in the top wall 11 of a fuel reservoir 12. Between a shoulder or flange portion 15 of this tubular member 14 and a corresponding annular recess formed in the upper face of the aforesaid top wall 11 there is fitted a sealing gasket 16. In the lower portion of the tubular member 14 extending in the inner space 17 of the fuel reservoir 12 there is spun or otherwise secured, for example by soldering a plug 18 formed with an axial passage 19 for wicks 20. The upper portion of the tubular member 14 has slidably mounted therein a burner head 21, a clearance of one or two thousandths of an inch being provided between these members 14 and 21. A coilspring 22 bears with. one end against the lower plug 18 and with its other end against the burner head 21; in the operative conditions of the burner this spring 22 urges the burner head 21 upwards until a valve-forming conical shoulder 23 of the burner head 21 engages a. seat-forming conical shoulder 24 formed inside the tubular member 14, as shown. The tubular member 14, plug v Y spring 22, `this cavity 25 being closed to the outside by on a relatively large scale a pocket lighter in its operative conditions; l

Figure 2 is a similar view showing details of 'the same lighter in its inoperative conditions; Figure 3 is an end view from below showing the burner head corersponding to the lighter illustrated in Figs. l

and 2;

Figure 4 is a detail view showing the manner in which the shoulders 23, 24 contacting each other.

The burner head 21 has a cylindrical coaxial bore 26 and its bottom is formed with a diametral member 27 having a central hole adapted to receive the lower end of a rod 2 8 extending coaxially to the cavity 26 and carrying at its upper end a head 29, as shown. On either side ofthe diametral member 27 apertures 30 communicating with the burner head cavity 26 `(Fig. 3) are thus formed to permit the passage of the wicks 20. A number of bundle-forming thin fire-proof nonporous wires 31, for example of glass or other suitable material are provided in this cavity 26. In the example illustrated these wires constitute two U-shaped bundles in which the wires are substantially parallel to one another. The bend of each bundle is formed around the top portion of Va loop 20a formed in turn in a U-bent wick 20, as shown in Fig. 4. The two sides of each loop 20a are parallel and extend through thel aperture 30, cavity 25 and orifice 19 from which they emerge into the fuel reservoir 12. In the embodiment shown there are two U-bentwicks 20 each anchored as described to a bundle of wires 31, the two sidesof each wick passing through one or the other aperture 30 on either side of the diametral member 27. The cross-sectional area lof these apertures 30 is such that on the one hand the interengaging loops of the lire-vv 26 of the burner head and, therefore, to the atmosphere,

the wick serving as ya liquid-fuel vehicle forms a loop through which a U-bent bundle of tire-proof non-porous wires are passed to lead the fuel from the wick to the place Where the combustion actually takes place;

Figure 5 is a view similar to Fig. l showing another form of embodiment of the lighter according to this invention, in its operative conditions; f

Figure 6 is a cross-sectional view of the"burner head alone, the section being taken upon'the line VIf-VI of Fig. .5, and i Figure 7 is another form of embodiment of aipocket i While overcoming only an appreciable resistance to the gasflow.4 In Figure 2 the wicks 20 and the bent portions of wires 31 have been omitted in order more clearly to show the structure of the lower portion o f the burner head.

The two extremities of the freproof wire bundle 31' emerge upwards from the space 26 of the burner head 21 but the rod 2S extends above these extremities with its head 29. The lighter is provided with a cap shown only partly in Figure 2 and containing in a xation socket 33 a sealing pad of resilient material 34, for example synthetic or other fuel-resisting material. Thus, when the cap is closed the pad 34'engages ythe head 29 of rod 28 and the head21 of the burner is pushed downwards against the resistance` of the lcoil `spring 22, without permitting-theV Patented Dec. 18, 1956 In the closed position ofthe cap the pad 34, as shown in y Iiin their sections extending from, the reservoir tothe cavity25 the wicks'20 iillthepassagel? inA Suche manner thatthe .liquid cannot ow directly from theireservoir 12 to thecavity 25;, and'thatfwhen theliquid'surface ishelowA this oriiicefl'Sl,A the gas cannot escape from the inner space 17 ofthe reservoir to the cavity k25j'through this orifice 19. Only the fuel seeping along the wicks 2,0canpass through the oriiice 19^but without allowing the cavity 2510 become filled up with liquid. )in the peripheral wall of the tubu lar member 14 a lateral or radialhole 35 is formed, to connectA the cavity 25' tothe inner Space 1710i' the reservoir 152 above the liquid level thereinQdesignated by the reference numeral 36, when the lighter is positioned in itsv normalorvertical position. Thediameter of this hole 35` may be for example 8 thousandths of an.inch,vin ally cases relatively small so that even if the lighter is turned upside down the fuel cannot enter the cavity 25 because the air or fuel gas pressure therein prevents the passage of liquid'` fuel therethrough. However, the gas may pass fromr the reservoir space 1-7 through the hole 3S to the cavity 25, thereby occasionating a pressure reduction in the small hole 35; On the other hand, the fuel reservoir 12'is tightly closed, especially at the filling plug (notv shown). i Y

When the lighter cap is closed and the burner head 21 maintained downwards as illustrated in Fig. 2, one portion of the outer surface of the burner head 21 registers with the small hole 35 so as to occlude the latter.

The burner head` 21', tubular member ,14,` plug 18 and the parts associated therewith will thus constitute a com. pact u nit which may be removed and replaced as a whole.

The lighter constructed in accordance with the teachings of this invention and of the type described hereinabove with reference to Figs. 1 to 3 of thedrawings operates as follows:

When the lighter is opened, i. e. by raising the cap 33. through any suitable or known means, the spring 22 causes the burner head v21 to be snapped tothe upper positionl shown in Fig. landv the hole 35 is uncovered,` thereby enablingthe inner space 1,71 offlineA fuel reservoir 12 to communicate with the cavityv2`5. The` wicks 20 had been soaked beforehand with liquid fuel and the latter had even beenallowed to, seep up` to the loop-formingV portions of the iireproof wires 31. When thelighter is held in the hand vthe natural heat of the hand and aiso, when the llame is ignited, the Vcom); ustion heat, produce a certain vapour pressure above the fuel surface 3d and this pressure is higher than it wasbeforethe lighter was touched with the hand. rlfhe vapour pressure is thus propagated through the hole 3 5 tothe cavity 25 andthe tight joint formed betweenithe conicalfsurfaes 2.3 24 prevents this pressure from being vented to the atmosphere outside the burner head21. The pressure can only propagate through those .portions of. the apertures, 30. in the humor hood21. whioh 'are flottille@ hv'thowiolis to. the interstices formed between, thewires31; dueto the relatively high resistance to any uid'liow providedby these wires a pressure reduction takes place and the pressure in the cavity 25 remains higher than the atmospheric pressure while boing lower than the vapour pressure in tho fool reservoir Space 17, owing to Vthe,,roductoti in pressure at the lateral hole 35. Thus, the' fuel seeping along the wicks 20 to the wires 31 will first'rise by capil larity'v in the narrow interstices left between these wires 31, then spread around the outer surface. of these wires. The aforesaid upwardly acting pressurewill promote the conveying of fuel infthe same direction along the. wires 31 to the combustion point locatedjust above the upper extremity of the tubular member 14. The proper vaporf` d of an ignition spark, and 0n the other hand the combustion proper.

The vapour pressure in the space above the fuel surface 36 will also act, of course, on the fuel proper, so that the liquid fuel will be forced upwards through the interstices formed between the fibres o f the wicks 20 as inside a pipe, thereby ensuring a fuel supply. The lower pressure existingin thecavity 25.y will retard the delivery of fuel and this will takev place as, a function of the differential pressure obtaining between the cavity 25 and the inner space 17 of the fuel reservoir 12.

The vapourpressure built up within the reservoir space 17 varies with the temperature; consequently, if the hole 35 were not provided this would cause a more or less important quantity of fuei to rise along the wicks 20. Besides, in the form of embodiment of cigarette-lighter just described the reduced pressure obtaining in the cavity 25 will. alsovaryas a function. of the pressure existing in the ihoor Sposo. 1.7 offtho reservoir 12 so-thot tho1 action whereby the delivery oi .tooth retardodfwill, also, vary; with temperature! Thus, ovoo with oorryhe vapour pressures. io tho Simo-17 .of -thofhol roseo/oir 12 it iS Possible to. feed the burnerfwithfuel ata substantially constant rate.

TheA essential v.advantage ofthe lighter construction siret forthfhereinabove lies in the Safe, failure-free ignition together with a practically uniform flame volume irrespective of the temperature, duev to the uniform or constantrate fuel supply ensured by the arrangement.

Theforrn ,of .embodiment of a cigarette or cigar lighter of; tlieftype illustrated in. Pigs. 5 and. 6 of the drawings differs frorn the. embodiment just describedv only through thtfdr-Signv of theburner head 41. This head 41 is closed atitslpwerfend by. a plug 42. fitted therein in a permanentf'ashio'nand formed,A with aA single central aperture 43 through which extend the. two sides of a wick 20 bent tofforrn lpop, asslrown, Theloop of a U-bent bundle of wires 31 engages the. wiclc loop, as shown. The upper ends .ofA these wires 3 1 arezcovered by va flat head 44 connectedthrough a, air of uprights 4 5 (Fig. 5 to the sleeve lilefportion 'of tiref burner head 41, so. that the upper portions of the wires 31 at the combustion point are vfree.between thesleeveflike. portion and the head 44 of the burnerv head..v 41. Thelhead V44 of this embodiment acts as a'stop totliesealing pad 34. (see Fig. 2) ofthe lighter cap so that when the latter is closed the burner head 41 pushed downwards against the resistance of the. coil .sprlingf22, withoui anyA risk of damaging. the relatively thin.V fragile. wires. 31.

The., O therfcomponent elements of the lighter are the sameas Vthe first embodiment described hereinabove and .described in .connection with Figs. l to 3. of the drawings, stittiirtl they are designated, byf the. same reference numerals Asahi? th. ooertion of this lighter is also the same.

The form of embodiment shpwnin Fig. 7 differs from theothertwoin that the burner head is not slidably niguntedina tubular' morohor- 'In this moditod. ombodiment the topv wall 11'of the fuel reservoir 1 2. has dotaohohlumoootsd thoroih a .Screwfthroedod member 50'fornied with a screwvportion 13. and characterized in thatits upper portion 51 acts directly. as a burner head. As in the; otherembodiments described hereinabove the screw-threaded member 50 is formed with a shoulder or.i'l ange.. 1 `5 engaging a gasket 16 located inv a suitable'recessy formed in the upper face. of the top wall of the.v reservoir 1 2, On 'the other hand, thermember 50 istormotfwith o huor oovity 25. Communicating, through a passage 52,' VaQspa :,e 2,6 provided in therupper or hoodf port 2 6` of tho humor.. this passage 52fhavine thtosdthoroiha .Wirth 2,0. which., as in, tho embodiment shown in Fig. 5. has allooii-vfortmihg. portion engaging the bond .oa U-shoaod, huhdlo of .roptoof wires 31 oxtsot' g'fhtoush. theoevity 2.o, and Protecting. from. thotol? edge ofthe burnerhead 51 with their upper egtremities, hehottenofetheoovty25 is Closed ,by o

maar

plug 53 having a central orifice S4 receiving the two sides of the wick 20. Moreover, a pressure-reducingrhole 35 is drilled in the lateral wall of the lower portion of the member 50 so that the inner space 17 -of the fuel reservoir 12 above the fuel level 36 communicates with the cavity 25.

A cap 55 of any suitable or known type has fitted therein a sealing ring 56 which, in the closed position of the cap 55, engages a properly dimensioned shoulder 57 of the burner head 51 so as to surround and protect the upper portions of the Wires 31 which project from the burner head. The sealing ring 56 and the cap 55 will thus provide a gas-tight closing of the burner head in the upwards direction.

This lighter operates somewhat like the other lighters described hereinabove, with the only difference that the hole35 is not occluded when the lighter cap 5/5 is closed. In this case as in the preceding ones the passage 54 is filled by the wick in such a manner that the liquid fuel cannot ow directly into the cavity 25.

In the various embodiments described hereinabove the thin wires 31 may be made from any suitable material. Although glass has been mentioned in this respect, it may be pointed out that metal wires may also be used for this purpose. On the other hand, the wicks 20 may be replaced by any other convenient fuel vehicle such as suction bodies, preferably in the form of cords, rods or pipes. An essential requirement to be adhered to is that the fuel vehicles must extend throughout the cavity Z5 so that the pressure built up therein may retard the flow of fuel to the burner.

Moreover, it is possible to dispense with the wires 31 and utilize wicks 20 extending up to the combustion point as in conventional lighters, but in this case the wicks extend throughout the cavity 25.

According to another possible embodiment of a cigarette or cigar lighter (not shown in the drawings) a fuel vehicle, for example a wick, is adapted to supply fuel from a fuel reservoir 12 to the cavity 25 where the Wick is ended, and another fuel vehicle, for example another wick, extends from the bottom of the cavity to the burner. In this case a certain quantity of liquid fuel may accumulate temporarily in the bottom of the cavity 25, this quantity being conveyed from the fuel reservoir along the first fuel vehicle and subsequently from this cavity to the combustion point by the other fuel vehicle.

Although various embodiments of the present invention have been described and illustrated therein, it will be readily appreciated that many modifications may be brought thereto without departing from the principles of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a cigarette lighter provided with a fuel burner head and a tightly closed inner fuel reservoir for vaporizable fuels, the combination of a tubular member mounted inside said reservoir, lower and upper openings in said member, wick elements positioned in said lower openings with a tight t therein, said elements having one end positioned in the fuel reservoir and extending through said tubular member to said upper opening, means mounted in said upper opening to retard the ow of fuel from said wick elements, said means forming the burner head, and means connecting said tubular member and fuel reservoir for transmitting to said wicks the pressureprevailing above the fuel level in said reservoir.

2. A cigarette lighter according to claim 1 wherein the burner head is slidably mounted in said tubular member for movement to operative or inoperative positions; resilient means being provided for urging the burner head to its operative position, said burner head being movable to obstruct said connecting means to shut off communication between said reservoir and the atmosphere.

3. A cigarette lighter according to claim 1, wherein a shoulder is formed on said burner head and a complementary shoulder is`formed in said `tubular'member'for mutul'fluid tight contact.

4. A cigarette lighter according to claim 3, provided with a lighter cap which, in its closed position, forces the burner head to its inoperative position. j

5. A cigarette lighter according to. claim 4, wherein said burner head is provided with a rod projecting beyond the end portions of the retarding means so as to contact the cap when said cap is closed, the closing of the cap causing said burner head to slide into said tubular member.

6. A cigarette lighter comprising a closed liquid fuel reservoir, a tubular member within said reservoir, a burner slidable vwithin said tubular member, an orifice in said tubular member adjacent the lower extremity of saidY burner toV connect said member with said reservoir, said orifice being covered and uncovered by said burner in its sliding movements in said tubular member, said tubular member having an upper and lower opening, a plug closing said lower opening, wick elements tightly fitted in said plug and extending upwardly to the upper j opening, the lower end of said wicks extending into said reservoir, fuel flow retarding means in said upper opening connected to said wick elements; cooperating shoulders on said tubular member and burner head .forming a seal when in contact to prevent the escape of fuel vapors from the reservoir; spring means in said tubular member urging the head into operative position and bringing said shoulders into Contact to form a seal, thereby uncovering said orifice, a rod connected to said burner head and extending above the extremity of said retarding means, a cap for said lighter, said cap urging said rod into the tubular member against the action of-said spring, closing said burner head and moving said burner head past said orifice to shut off communication between said tubular member and reservoir.

7. A cigarette lighter according to claim 6 in which the rod is connected to the lower portion of the burner head.

8. A cigarette lighter according to claim 6 in which the rod is connected to the upper portion of the burner head.

9. A burner for insertion into the fuel reservoir of a cigarette lighter comprising a tubular member, said tubular member including a burner head slidably positioned therein, said tubular member having an orifice therein for establishing communication between said member and said reservoir, said orifice being covered and uncovered during the sliding movements of said burner head, upper and lower openings for said tubular member, wick elements tightly fitted into the lower opening of said tubular member, said elements extending upwardly to the upper opening, the lower extremity of said wick elements extending into said reservoir, and fuel ow retarding means in said upper opening and connected with said wick elements.

10. A burner for insertion into the fuel reservoir of a cigarette lighter comprising a tubular member, said tubular member including a burner head slidably positioned therein, said tubular member having an orifice therein for establishing communication between said member and said reservoir, said orifice being covered and uncovered during the sliding movements of said burner head, upper and lower openings for said tubular member, wick elements tightly fitted into the lower opening of saidtubular member, said elements extending upwardly to the upper opening, the lower extremity of said wick elements extending into said reservoir, fuel flow retarding means in said upper opening and connected with said wick elements, and means resiliently urging said burner head upwardly to uncover said orifice.

1l. A burner for insertion into the fuel reservoir of a cigarette lighter comprising a tubular member, said tubular member including a burner head slidably positioned therein, said tubular member having an orifice therein for establishing communication between said member and said reservoir, said orifice being covered and uncovered during .the sliding movements `roi? said burner :head-,upper and lower openings for said tubular' member, .vviekzele-A mentstightly tted into, thelower .openingof1said tubular member, said-'elements-,extending upwardly vto the upper opening, the lower extremity-.of said Wickelements extending into said reservoir, fuel flow retarding means in said upper opening and. connected with said Wick elements,l and rod means connected to.A said burner headand extending above the extremity of said vretarding means.

l2'. Aburner for insertion into the fuel reservoir of a cigarette lighter comprising a tubular member, said tubular member including aburner head `slidably Ypositioned therein, said tubular member having an orifice therein for establishing.communication between said member and saidY reservoir, said orifice being covered and uncovered duringthe sliding movements of said :burner head, upper and lower -openings for said tubular member, wick elements tightly iitted into the lower opening of said tubular finalmuniJ said elements extendineunwardly to the upper Opriing, Athe. `Lowe-r extremity 0fsaid; wick elements. extendinginto. saidA reservoir.; fuel ow' retarding; IneensA in said upper opening and, connected with` Said'. WiQke1ements; meansV resiliently` urging said burner head Vupwardly to uncover said orifice, and rod means connected tothe said burner headand extendingabove the extremity of said retarding means.`

References ,Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES ,PATENTSl 2,576,042 Reilly -s NOV. 2.0,. 195.1 2,586,380 Quercia et al Feb. 19, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 603,755 Great Britain vl'une 22, 1948 827,428 Germany Jan. 17, 1952A 

